Medical ultrasound systems are known which use a piezoelectric actuator, having a stack of piezoelectric transducer disks, to ultrasonically drive a medical end effector such as a harmonic scalpel. A dental system is known which uses a magnetostrictive actuator made of nickel to ultrasonically drive a dental scaler to clean teeth. A dental system has been developed by ETREMA Products, Inc. of Ames, Iowa which uses a magnetostrictive actuator made of Terfenol-D (an alloy of terbium, dysprosium, and iron metals) to ultrasonically drive a dental scaler. ETREMA is also developing a magnetostrictive material made of GALFENOL (an alloy of gallium and iron) for low frequency use.
Still, scientists and engineers continue to seek improved magnetostrictive actuators of medical ultrasound transducer assemblies, improved medical ultrasound handpieces having such actuators, and improved medical ultrasound systems having such actuators.